NRL Round 11: Team of the Round

Round 11 presented league fans a much needed break from off-field distractions and incidents. The focus shifted to the inspirational stories of Mark Hughes, Brett Kimmorley, Matt Callander and Paul White, who selflessly united to raise awareness for brain cancer. Countless fans were spotted supporting the Beanies for Brain Cancer initiative, which has seen over $1 Million raised for the Mark Hughes Foundation for brain cancer research.

On the field, Round 11 provided State of Origin hopefuls one final chance to impress their respective selectors before the much-awaited teams were revealed on Monday.

Fullback: Matthew Moylan2 Tries, 1 Line break, 1 Line break assist, 2 Forced dropouts, 87 SuperCoach Points
Locked in a battle for the New South Wales bench utility role with Cronulla’s Jack Bird, Moylan was determined to demonstrate the x-factor and attacking flair he can bring to a game. Following a slow start from the entire Penrith outfit, Moylan put on a superb second half masterclass when his side needed it most – down 14-0 and missing key playmakers Bryce Cartwright (knee) and Peter Wallace (groin). The fullback sparked Penrith’s revival, forcing two dropouts, breaking the line once and scoring two tries of his own en route to a demolition of the hapless Newcastle defence.

Wing: Daniel Tupou1 Try, 2 Line breaks, 2 Line break assists, 18 Hit-ups, 110 SuperCoach Points
A quiet 2016 campaign for the 2015 Blues winger has seen Tupou drop out of contention for an Origin berth in 2017, but that was no deterrent against Canterbury’s leaky right edge. Along with partner-in-crime Latrell Mitchell, Tupou ran riot in the first half, finishing with 182 running metres, 4 offloads, 2 line breaks and a game high 18 hit-ups, 15 of which were over eight metres. Add in a try, and performances like these will garner Laurie Daley’s attention sooner rather than later.

Centre: Dylan Walker2 Tries, 1 Line break, 11 Hit-ups, 102 Run metres, 73 SuperCoach Points.
Laurie Daley was provided with an Origin duel on Saturday night between incumbent centre Dylan Walker and widely-tipped 2017 centre Jarryd Hayne. Manly’s right-side attack caused the Titan’s defence nightmares throughout the first half, as Walker pounced on an Akuila Uate offload to score. Despite being hampered by what appeared to be a severe cork, the flying centreman again broke the line in the 73rd minute to seal a Manly victory and cause yet another welcome selection headache for New South Wales.

Centre: Tim Lafai1 Try, 2 Try assists, 3 Goals, 215 Run metres, 152 SuperCoach Points
With the absence of playmaker Gareth Widdop (knee), many expected the Dragons to struggle against the Warriors in Hamilton. However, the Saints demonstrated their ability to attack all over the park in a dominant display. Centre Tim Lafai starred in the performance, leading his team in running metres, scoring one try and setting up two others, including providing the last touch for Kalifa Faifai Loa to score what was described as one of the tries of the season so far.

Wing: Akuila Uate1 Try, 1 Try assist, 2 Line breaks, 152 Run metres, 90 SuperCoach Points
Along with partner-in-crime Dylan Walker (mentioned above), Akuila Uate and Manly’s right-side attack simply dismantled the Titans at Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday Night. Uate was instrumental in Manly’s success, rediscovering the spark that had him touted as one of the most exciting wingers in the league seven years ago. With line breaks in the 10th and 20th minute, Uate finished with 152 running metres, 1 try assist and a try of his own.

Five-Eighth: Anthony Milford1 Try, 3 Try Assists, 3 Line break assists, 153 Kick metres, 100 SuperCoach PointsInjuries to Jonathan Thurston (shoulder) and Corey Norman (knee) forced Kevin Walters to declare Anthony Milford as a potential five-eighth for Origin I. Coming off a strong form stretch and playing at his favoured Suncorp Stadium, Milford did his chances no harm on Friday night against a woeful Tigers outfit. 3 try assists and a try of his own provided the perfect Origin audition and were key to Brisbane’s 36 point demolition of the Tigers.

Halfback: Mitchell Pearce1 Try, 1 Try assist, 447 Kick metres, 2 Forced dropouts, 74 SuperCoach Points
Widely predicted to make the Blues Halfback position his own in 2017, Mitchell Pearce was provided one final chance to impress selectors on Sunday Afternoon at ANZ Stadium. Against the likes of Klemmer, Graham and Jackson, Pearce steered the Roosters superbly, playing a part in a number of tries and assisting directly in one. With the game on the line at 20-18 with four minutes to go, the halfback showed his strength to crash over for a clutch try, sealing the Roosters eighth win of the season.

Prop: Andrew Fifita1 Try assist, 1 Line break, 180 Run metres, 16 Hit Ups, 110 SuperCoach Points
With the emergence of young forwards Jack De Belin, Jake Trbojevic and Paul Vaughan, Fifita faced stiff Origin competition coming into the 2017 season. However, following a strong performance for Australia, the Cronulla enforcer put on an inspired performance on Thursday night against 2015 Premiers North Queensland. In just 49 minutes, Fifita accumulated 180 running metres from 16 hit ups, before busting the line in the 62nd minute to set up Chad Townsend to score the try that would ultimately swing the momentum and inspire a Cronulla comeback

Hooker: Apisai Koroisau1 Try, 1 Line break, 42 Tackles, 98% Tackle Success, 5 Tackle busts, 96 SuperCoach Points
Presented with the challenge of defending against the attacking weapons of Jarryd Hayne, Anthony Don and Ryan James, Manly’s defence stood tough on Saturday night. Leading the way was Hooker Apisai Koroisau, who finished with 42 tackles at an outstanding tackle success rate of just under 98%. For his inspirational defensive efforts, the Manly rake was duly rewarded with a try and accompanying line break in the 24th minute.

Front Row: Daniel Saifiti1 Try, 122 Run metres, 22 Tackles, 1 Line break, 82 SuperCoach PointsFresh from representing Fiji over the representative period, Saifiti put on a dominating display against Penrith on Sunday afternoon. The front rower got the ball rolling for the Knights with a barnstorming try in the 8th minute, and ran for 122 metres, only bettered by winger Ken Sio. Saifiti was a shining light on what was predominantly a dark afternoon for Newcastle supporters.

Second Row: Angus Crichton80 minutes, 42 Tackles, 98% Tackle success, 154 Run metres, 17 Hit-ups, 79 SuperCoach Points
Former rugby union schoolboys star Angus Crichton has discovered a rich vein of form over the past six rounds, impressing coach Michael Maguire and forcing his way into the starting squad. The young second-rower repaid the faith against the Storm in Perth with a workmanlike performance. Despite not scoring a try, Crichton played the full 80 minutes, accumulating 42 tackles, 154 running metres and 17 hit ups, 13 of which were over eight metres.

Second Row: Manu Ma’u1 Try, 127 Run metres, 15 Hit-ups, 23 Tackles, 79 SuperCoach Points
Following a concussion-affected game against the Roosters, Manu Ma’u was determined to demonstrate his worth to coach Brad Arthur leading into the Origin period. The second-rower quickly struck up a dangerous combination with Mitchell Moses, and had a stroke of luck early in the second half, regathering a ricochet off of his own kick to score. Additionally, Ma’u had 15 hit-ups and 23 tackles, exhibiting the consistently-strong work ethic he has become renowned for in his career.

Lock: JakeTrbojevic1 Try, 2 Line breaks, 16 hit-ups, 170 Run metres, 123 SuperCoach Points
Many feared that following the loss of younger brother Tom to a serious ankle injury, Jake Trbojevic’s attacking potential would be hampered. With potential Origin selection looming, Trbojevic proved his doubters wrong – crashing over for a try six minutes after halftime. Playing the full 80 minutes, the lock posted impressive numbers, with 38 tackles, 2 line breaks, 16 hit-ups and a game-high 170 running metres.

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